International Paper
- Industry
- Packaging
- Exchange
- US
- Country
- USA
- IPO date
- Jan 2, 1970
- Employees
- 62,602
- Website
- www.internationalpaper.com
Composite valuation range · conservative $24–$28 / fair $34–$40 / optimistic $48–$55. At $42.41, Between the fair and optimistic ranges.
At publication $33.47 (May 30, 2026)
Data from EODHD, shown in the reporting currency; for reference only, not investment advice.
International Paper Company produces and sells renewable fiber-based packaging in North America, Latin America, Europe, South America, and North Africa. It operates through two segments, Packaging Solutions North America and Packaging Solutions EMEA. The company offers linerboard, medium, whitetop, and saturating kraft; and converts containerboard into corrugated boxes, bulk bins, shipping containers and specialty packaging through its converting facilities. Its products support customers in various industries, such as food and beverage, agriculture, industrial manufacturing, personal care pharmaceuticals and consumer goods. The company was founded in 1898 and is headquartered in Memphis, Tennessee.
History
International Paper Company was founded in 1898 and is headquartered in Memphis, Tennessee; its IPO date was January 2, 1970, and it employs approximately 62,602 people. The company produces renewable fiber-based packaging, selling linerboard, medium, recycled linerboard and medium, whitetop, and saturating kraft, and converting containerboard into corrugated boxes, industrial packaging, and retail display packaging. In recent years its reporting structure has been heavily reshaped by transactions: a Sylvamo spin-off in 2021, the DS Smith acquisition completed in 2025, a Global Cellulose Fibers (GCF) divestiture beginning in 2026, and a planned separation of its Packaging Solutions North America and Packaging Solutions EMEA segments expected 12-15 months after announcement. The DS Smith acquisition was largely funded with equity, with weighted-average shares rising from 347.2 million in 2024 to 505.7 million in 2025 (around 529 million shares outstanding by early 2026), and net sales jumping to about 23.6 billion dollars in 2025 from roughly 18.6 billion in 2024, driven mainly by DS Smith consolidation rather than organic growth. In late 2025 the company recognized about 2.47 billion dollars of goodwill impairment on its PS EMEA reporting unit.
Industry position
International Paper operates in a mature packaging and containers industry through two segments, Packaging Solutions North America and Packaging Solutions EMEA, serving B2B customers across eCommerce, food and beverage, grocery and retail, manufacturing, personal care, and shipping and distribution. By recent market data its market capitalization was about 17.8 billion dollars, comparable to peers Packaging Corporation of America (about 19.5 billion), Smurfit WestRock (about 21.6 billion), and Graphic Packaging (about 3.3 billion), making it a significant player rather than a winner-take-all monopolist. The company's competitive advantages stem from regional scale, industrial execution, and an asset network of regional mills and converting plants plus a recycling system, rather than from brand, network effects, or high switching costs. Management has pursued cost optimization through an 80/20 system, citing roughly 710 million dollars of cumulative cost-out actions since 2024; in Q1 2026 the company reported North American box volumes outperforming the industry by about 3 percent for a third consecutive quarter, while EMEA remained in a weak market environment.